It’s a battle of the starchitects in Mexico City—and the Brits are leading the pack. Out of the seven finalists short-listed to design an expansion for the capital city’s airport, Benito Juarez International, four hail from the UK: Zaha Hadid, Norman Foster, Richard Rogers, and Pascall+Watson.
The airport exterior. (Branden Klayko / AN)
They are joined in the final round by Teodoro González de León with Taller de Arquitectura X, SOM, and Gensler. All of these teams are being led by Mexican practices, and construction could begin later this year. The multi-billion dollar expansion should accommodate 40 million annual passengers at over 70 new gates.
Floorplan of the arrivals terminal. (Courtesy World Buildings Directory)The airport’s current cheese-grater-like facade in Terminal 2 was completed by Serrano Arquitectos in 2008. The envelope’s many circular windows are used to maximize natural daylight within the terminal year round.
[Via Architects’ Journal]
The current terminal. (Branden Klayko / AN) Another interior view of the existing terminal. (Branden Klayko / AN)